The Seoul Institute of Global Affairs (SIGA) is pleased to announce the publication of a new scholarly volume titled Emerging Partners of Central Asia: Engagement of Small and Middle Powers, edited by Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu and Bongchul Kim. The book examines the evolving geopolitical landscape of Central Asia by shifting analytical focus beyond major powers to the growing role of small and middle powers in the region. It offers a comprehensive assessment of how these actors engage with Central Asia through diplomacy, economic cooperation, security partnerships, and cultural exchange.Published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2026, the provides in-depth case studies covering a wide range of countries, including Korea, Japan, Turkey, Iran, Israel, Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Pakistan, Gulf states, Latin America and Southeast Asian actors. By highlighting these engagements, the book fills an important gap in the literature on Central Asian studies and international relations.The volume brings together contributions from leading scholars, including Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu and Bongchul Kim as editors, and chapter authors Rovshan Ibrahimov, Paradorn Rangsimaporn, Nargiza Umarova, Farkhod Tolipov, Zhanat Momynkulov, Fuad Shahbazov, Kornely Kakachia, Euichan Shin, Hayann Lee, Jongho Park, and M. Cüneyt Özşahin, reflecting diverse perspectives on strategic engagement and foreign policy dynamics in Central Asia.The volume demonstrates how emerging and middle powers pursue strategic interests in Central Asia while navigating complex regional dynamics shaped by competition, cooperation, and changing global power balances. It also sheds light on the implications of these engagements for regional stability and international politics.Emerging Partners of Central Asia: Engagement of Small and Middle Powers is intended as a key resource for scholars, policymakers, and students interested in Eurasian geopolitics and the foreign policies of small and middle powers. Book link: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-10499-1

On 9 February 2026, the Seoul Institute of Global Affairs (SIGA) held a meeting in Baku with Dr. Farid Shafiyev, Chairman of the AIR Center. The SIGA delegation was led by Prof. Dr. Bongchul Kim, President of SIGA, with the participation of Professors Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu and Rovshan Ibrahimov of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.The discussions focused on Azerbaijan’s growing strategic importance within the Middle Corridor, as well as the increasingly prominent role of Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries as a more integrated and holistic regional actor. The meeting also addressed the current state of Korea–Azerbaijan political relations and explored potential areas for expanding cooperation beyond traditional diplomacy. In this context, the sides exchanged views on possible collaboration in emerging fields such as the green economy, artificial intelligence, and smart city development. Both institutions agreed on the importance of translating these discussions into concrete joint projects and strengthening institutional ties in the period ahead.

On 9 February 2026, the Seoul Institute of Global Affairs (SIGA) paid an official visit to the Topchubashov Center in Baku. The SIGA delegation was represented by Professors Bongchul Kim, Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu, and Rovshan Ibrahimov and was received by the Center’s Director, Rusif Huseynov, together with PR and Communications Manager, Vusal Safarli. During the meeting, the parties held an in-depth exchange on regional and global developments and reached a mutual understanding on strengthening academic and institutional cooperation between Korea and Azerbaijan. In this context, both sides agreed to advance closer ties between the Korean and Azerbaijani expert communities through concrete collaborative initiatives.The discussions covered prospects for joint publications, internship and training opportunities for junior researchers, as well as the organization of joint seminars, conferences, and symposiums to be held in Baku and Seoul. These initiatives aim to foster sustained dialogue, knowledge exchange, and long-term academic cooperation between institutions in both countries. The meeting marked an important step toward institutionalizing Korea–Azerbaijan academic collaboration and expanding joint research and policy-oriented activities in the future.